Catching up With GENERAL HOSPITAL's Sean Kanan (EXCLUSIVE)

Looking back, Sean Kanan calls GENERAL HOSPITAL’s A.J., the character he last played in 2014, “a romantic whose aspirations and dreams were crushed.” Try as he might, Alan’s son never did live up to the Quartermaine name and legacy, which was a huge weight on his shoulders. “It fermented his becoming cynical about life and feeling like he was this self-fulfilling prophecy of failure... and that fueled his alcoholism,” the actor suggested to Soaps In Depth. “I don’t feel like the character ever really got a fair shake.”

"Whenever I was doing a GH scene with Maurice [Benard, Sonny], I was acutely aware that I needed to bring my A game." (Photo Credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com)

Likely, A.J. could have benefited from reading Kanan’s new book, Success Factor X (now available for pre-order at Amazon.com and other similar retailers). “My partner, Jill Liberman, and I went out to 50 interesting people and asked, ‘What is the best advice that you’ve been given about success or that you would like to share about success?’” he explained, adding that everyone from Mark Cuban to ALL MY CHILDREN’s Erica, Susan Lucci (amongst numerous other daytime stars), participated. “I learned that there are somewhat identical trails that many people take on the journey, even if they’re trying to accomplish something very different.”

Fans will get a chance to meet Kanan in person as he travels the country for a special book signing tour. He and Liberman will kick things off on Thursday, May 16, at the Barnes and Noble in Country Glen Center in Long Island, NY. There are also dates scheduled in New Jersey, Florida, and California, however Kanan has said he will not be appearing at the Thursday, June 10, signing at The Grove in Los Angeles. A full list of dates, times, and stores where the signings will be held is available on the Success Factor X Official Website, so click through to there for updated information.

The actor plans to use the book as a springboard for a nationwide speaking tour on the topic. And fans will now be able to recognize him in person again after he shaved his hair off for his upcoming film, Dark Stories, which is based on Verotik, the series of dark comics by rocker-turned-director Glenn Danzig. “I play a character named Sgt. Anders, who is the lead detective in a homicide investigation,” Kanan previewed. “I chose to play him with a gravelly voice — it was a real departure for me. I may keep [this look] for a while and see what other work I can do.”

In the meantime, Kanan is putting the finishing touches on THE BUBBLE, the single-camera dramedy he’s penned and is working toward getting produced this year. “It’s about an aging soap star who wants more from life, and it comes in the form of the 16-year-old daughter that he didn’t know he had,” Kanan said. “He’s thoroughly unequipped to be a father but decides to give it a shot and just can’t get out of his own way.”

For more on your favorite GH stars — past and present — keep reading the ABC edition of Soaps In Depth magazine.